The Strahowski Family

UPDATE- The response for this family has been amazing! The Hartford Courant wrote a beautiful piece and I have shared it below. Let's keep up the momentum for this beautiful family.

A father of six from Bristol was fatally electrocuted while working on his custom truck in his garage last weekend, leaving his family uncertain of their future without him.

Michael “Stro” Strahowski, 44, an auto body technician at Ray’s CARSTAR Auto Body and Glass in Bristol for nearly a decade, was working on his truck in his garage on July 8 while his wife and young daughter jumped on their trampoline. Strahowski was found dead in the garage, having potentially brushed up against exposed wires, according to Megan Fields, a colleague who is helping to raise funds for his family.

The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed that Strahowski’s cause of death was electrocution.

Strahowski’s signature lowrider purple pickup truck with green flames is now parked in the family’s front yard, surrounded by candles, flowers and photos in memory of the beloved father, husband and coworker as his family grapples with how to process the loss and deal with new financial stressors.

Strahowski was the primary provider for his family, supporting his wife Alexandra Strahowski and their children, 12-year-old Stro, 10-year-old Skylar, 6-year-old Summer, 4-year-old Stunner and 3-year-old Stylez, and Strahowski’s eldest daughter Mikayla.

Alexandra and Summer Strahowski light candles at a memorial set up around Michael "Stro" Strahowski's custom truck. Strahowski, a father of six from Bristol, was fatally electrocuted while working on his custom truck. Photo provided by Megan Fields.

Alexandra Strahowski lights a candle in front of her husband’s truck outside their home in Bristol. Photo provided by Megan Fields.

His wife said that being married to Stro was her greatest accomplishment in life and that the love they shared “was undeniable to anybody that met us or knew us.”

“To say I lost a piece of me would be an understatement,” she said Thursday. “Today, five days later, I feel like I have lost all of me.”

Strahowski was a dedicated and hands-on father to his six children, his wife said, and “he worked hard for and loved fiercely every day.” His wife of 15 years said she is trying to wrap her head around how she will survive without him and is overwhelmed by the number of milestones he will miss in his children’s lives.

“There are so many years, so many football games, so many cheerleading competitions, so many graduations, so many life events that we will not have him to share with us.”

Fields, who is the office manager at Ray’s CARSTAR, launched a GoFundMe to help support his wife and children. She hopes the funds will cover funeral expenses, allow Alexandra time to grieve before she returns to work at a Bristol preschool and ensure that their children can continue the activities they love, like gymnastics and sports, as they all work through their grief.

Alexandra and Stro met in Florida and were planning to move back to their home state where their extended families still live. Stro had been working on the truck so that he could sell it to earn some extra money for their move, Fields said.

Now, Fields said his wife is unsure if she can afford to move their family as planned. Fields said she hopes the family will be able to move to be closer to their families for support.

Fields said she met Alexandra years ago and started working at the autobody shop after meeting Stro through his wife. She said the couple shared “an incredible bond” and “functioned as a strong unit being the parents of six.”

“They always led with love and laughs and it was hard to be around them and not be constantly laughing,” Fields said. “Stro loved a good joke and always brought the light of laughter wherever he was, but he was also someone you could talk to and would stop whatever he was doing to lend an ear. He will be incredibly missed by all who knew him.”

Michael “Stro” Strahowski’s custom truck is now parked in the family’s front yard, surrounded by candles, flowers and photos. Photo provided by Megan Fields.

Fields said the team at their autobody shop is still processing the shocking loss. Billy Hughson, who worked next to Strahowski in the shop, said Stro was a “talented and inspiring individual.”

Hughson started working at Ray’s only three months ago and was nervous about being in close quarters with another technician all day long. This was until he met Strahowski.

“My worries subsided almost immediately,” said Hughson. “Stro and I hit it off like we had been best friends forever.”

He said that even in their short time as coworkers, it was evident how much his colleague loved his family.

“I came to learn he was a family man and you could really see he cared about his wife and kids above anything,” he said.

Steven Merchant, president of Ray’s CARSTAR Auto Body, echoed Hughson’s sentiment that Strahowski was “a loving and devoted man to his wife and six children.” He called Strahowski “a highly skilled technician” who was loyal and passionate.

“His love of custom vehicles and his imagination on what he could do with them was second to none,” said Merchant.

Ray’s vice president Michael Ferrucci described Strahowski as a “top-notch” technician and custom car builder who repaired thousands of vehicles with “the utmost dedication to perfection.”

“What Stro has done for the collision industry and for custom car building is nothing short of phenomenal,” he said.

Ferucci said he will always remember Stro’s passion for lowrider trucks with his signature sideways license plate that said “Stro,” and his infectious enthusiasm and constant smile.

“His passing has left a major financial void for his family and we encourage any donation to assist for his children’s future,” he said.

Michael "Stro" Strahowski was the primary provider for his family, including his wife Alexandra and their five children, 12-year-old Stro, 10-year-old Skylar, 6-year-old Summer, 3-year-old Stylez and 4-year-old Stunner.

Michael “Stro” Strahowski was the primary provider for his family, including (pictured) his wife Alexandra and their five children, 12-year-old Stro, 10-year-old Skylar, 6-year-old Summer, 4-year-old Stunner and 3-year-old Stylez, as well as Strahowski’s eldest daughter Mikayla (not pictured).

The GoFundMe has already surpassed its goal of $25,000, raising over $27,000 as of Thursday. Fields said that because Strahowski did not have a life insurance policy, the family needs all the help they can get.

Alexandra said her husband’s lowrider truck will remain in their yard all week so family, friends, customers and neighbors can come by to share their memories and say goodbye. She thanked the Bristol community for all their support since her husband’s tragic death.

Hi, my name is Megan and I am a friend of Alexandra and a coworker of Stro. Michael “Stro” Strahowski suffered an accident in his garage while working on his truck and passed away unexpectedly. He leaves behind the love of his life, his wife Alexandra and 6 children, 5 of the children are under 12. Stro was a loving hands on father who loved his children more than anything. Alexandra will need so much support over the next few months as Stro was the main provider for the family. Please give what you can.